Container having integral support means



May 29, 1956 v J. J. JACOBSON 2,

CONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL SUPPORT MEANS Filed on. 14, 1950 ism! Iii INVEN TOR.

A TTOR NE Y5 United States Patent CONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL SUPPORT MEANS James J. Jacobson, New York, N. Y.

Application October 14, 1950, Serial No. 190,131

4 Claims. (Cl. 220-18) This invention relates to a novel display stand and container which display stand is adapted to hold and to display merchandise containers.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, effective and attractive display stand for use in the sale of various articles and to provide complementary article containers constructed so as to enhance the effectiveness and attraction of the display when associated with said stand.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a display stand which is capable of having loaded thereon and unloaded therefrom a series of articles with a maximum of simplicity and display effectiveness.

Another object is the provision of a display stand and container assembly constructedand arranged to greatly reduce or prevent pilferage and/or unauthorized handling of the contents of the container particularly when the latter is of the type which may be easily opened.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a container with structurally identical complementary parts so that the container parts can be made by the same mold or die, and which therefore readily lends itself to low cost mass production.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a container and support assembly wherein the support is adapted to mate with complementary structure on the container and wherein a unique loading and unloading feature combining attractiveness with utility is provided.

'Another object of this invention is the provision of a container with structurally identical complementary parts and anovel hinge arrangement and closure means integrated into the respective container parts.

- Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In therdrawings:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the display stand loaded with several containers;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view with the upright channel member partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detailed partial front view partly in section of the display stand with several containers mounted thereon;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the container receptacle and cover members opened and disassembled;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the receptacle container or cover.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, the reference numeral 10 refers to an upright display stand comprising a base member 11 formed of a tubular ring and an upright member 12 consisting of a pair of channel members 13 welded or otherwise secured to the vertical frame rod 14. As best shown in Fig. 2, frame rod 14 is welded or otherwise atfixed at its extremities to base member 11 and is formed of one continuous length of rod. The channel members 13 have longitudinally extending slots 15 at one side thereof for the reception of the container end portions hereinafter .to be described in detail. Ring 16 serves as both a brace member and lowermost rest for the containers being supported and is welded to frame rod 14 adjacent to where the frame rod 14 and base member 11 are secured on the front of the display stand. As best shown in Fig. 4, ring 16 serves as stop means for the containers loaded on the display stand and is mounted across and near the bottom of slots 15. Sign plate 17 is secured to the upper portion of frame 14 by means of a backing plate 19, which backing plate is welded to the frame and which sign plate is afiixed to the backing plate by fastening means 18. It is to be noted that the channel members are open at the top only for the reception of the containers and have two bent-in portions or flanges 20 (Fig. 4) which mate with complementary portions of the container as to be more fully described hereinafter.

The container 25 comprises structurally identical receptacle and cover members 22 which members are provided with tab-like projecting support structure 23 comprising a groove 24 on each end portion of the members extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the receptacle and cover members 22. When the container is in closed position, each of the grooved end portions will mate with the longitudinally extending slots 15 of the display stand so that the channel members can be loaded with a plurality of containers, each container being slid into the channel members until the channel is loaded to the top. Thus the containers will be supported in generally horizontal position one above the other, and will project laterally from the support means. It is to be further noted that each container may be loaded on either channel member 13, by virtue of the symmetrically arranged support structure 23 at both ends of the container 25, and yet achieve a completely symmetrical array of containers on the display stand when both channel members 13 are loaded with the same number of containers (Fig. 3).

The receptacle and cover members 22 each have complementary but dissimilar hinge elements 26 and 2 7, as best shown in Fig. 7, which are molded or otherwise made integral with the members 22 and are symmetrically arranged whereby the receptacle and cover members will mate and be hingedly secured to each other with the insertion of hinge pins 28 in the apertures of said hinge elements. The hinge element 26 comprises a single ear or projection whereas the hinge element 27 comprises two spaced ears or projections 27a for receiving the complementary single ear or projection so that the hinge elements 26 and 27 of the receptacle will mate with hinge elements 27 and 26 of the cover, respectively, forming the hinged container. This hinge construction allows the members 22 to be structurally identical and yet mate to form an integrated container without any additional elements except for the pins 28.

The numeral 29 (Fig. 7) designates a closure member which is also integral with the members 22 and is offset laterally from the center of the members, whereby the closure member 29 on the receptacle will cooperate with the closure member 29 on the cover resulting in a container in which the cover member will be releasably engaged to the receptacle member by a snap action. This effect is achieved by slightly undercutting edge 30 of the closure member 29 at the lateral axis of the members 22 so that slight pressure will be necessary to snap closed the cover member. The members 22 may be constructed of a variety of suitable materials, which materials will be sufficiently yieldable to accommodate the slight undercutting of edge 30 and thereby effect a completely integrated closure assembly.

A salient feature of this invention is that both the container and cover can be constructed from the same mold or die and yet include integrated and complementary hinge elements and closure elements. The container can be constructed of a transparent plastic material or the cover member alone can be transparent, or opaque, or the container can be made from any combination of materials with any desired degree of transparency of the members. Thus, the contents of the container can be displayed with the desired degree of visibility in an attractive, symmetrical and utilitarian display, which will attract any observer and potential customer.

It is manifest that additional channel members can be used in similar arrangements within the spirit and scope of this inventive concept, which inventive concept will readily lend itself to a multitude of applications and variety of detailed modifications, which changes and applications may be made without any departure from the underlying principles of the invention as embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A container, comprising receptacle and cover members hingedly connected to each other at one side thereof, means providing a releasable closure for said members, each of said members having tab-like projecting support structure at one end thereof provided with a transversely extending groove, said support structure being disposed for engagement in the closed condition of said members with said grooves being in alignment and disposed on the external surfaces of said support structure, said grooves being adapted for engagement with vertically disposed channel display means whereby to support the container in generally horizontal, laterally extending position.

2. A container, comprising receptacle and cover members hingedly connected to each other at one side thereof, means providing a releasable closure for said members, each of said members having tab-like projecting support structure at one end thereof provided with a transversely extending groove, said support structure being disposed for engagement in the closed condition of said members with said grooves being in alignment and disposed on the external surfaces of said support structure, said grooves being adapted for engagement with vertically disposed channel display means whereby to support the container in generally horizontal, laterally extending position, said receptacle and cover members being structurally identical and having additional support structure identical to said first mentioned support structure at the opposite end thereof.

3. A container, comprising structurally identical elongated receptacle and cover members whereby said members may be cast from the same mold, each of said members having at one side thereof integral hinge means at a peripheral edge thereof and an integral closure element at a peripheral edge at the opposite side thereof, each of said members at each end thereof having tab-like projecting support structure provided with a transversely extending groove, said support structure of said members being disposed for engagement in the closed condition of said members with said grooves being disposed along the external surfaces of said support structure for engagement with vertically disposed channel display means whereby to support the container in generally horizontal, laterally extending position.

4. A container, comprising structurally identical elongated receptacle and cover members whereby said members may be cast from the same mold, each of said members having at one side thereof integral hinge means at a peripheral edge thereof and an integral closure element at a peripheral edge at the opposite side thereof, each of said members at each end thereof having tab-like projecting support structure provided with a transversely extending groove, said support structure of said members being disposed for engagement in the closed condition of said members with said grooves being disposed along the external surfaces of said support structure for engagement with vertically disposed channel display means whereby to support the container in generally horizontal, laterally extending position, said grooves being perpendicularly disposed to the longitudinal axes of said members and companion grooves at each end of the container being in substantial alignment.

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